


Incantations

by Thirrin



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Howl's Moving Castle aesthetic, Witches and warlocks and lots of magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:10:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9142315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thirrin/pseuds/Thirrin
Summary: An annoyed witch unwillingly caught in the middle of a long-standing conflict between a frustrating warlock and a creepy, evil mage. At least the flying castle is pretty cool.





	1. A Little Warriness and a Dash of Rage

It all started about a month ago.

The day was passing by like normal, customers coming and going as Sakura both manned the check-out desk and cleaned and restocked her shop. It was a little past midday, nearing her closing time, when a man she didn't recognize walked in, the bell over the door chiming softly and alerting her to his arrival. She glanced up from her list of salves she would need to make new batches of with a smile, faltering for only a moment at the sight of the unfamiliar face before she greeted him politely.

"Welcome! Can I help you find anything, sir?"

He looked to her and Sakura scrutinized him from behind her friendly smile, inwardly surprised that she didn't recognize him, and tapped her pencil to her notepad as she nudged a small jar back into place. The man was silent for a moment, face blank before he offered her a smile in return, running his hand through his hair - part of his dark, blue-black locks pulled up in a topknot while his bangs were swept back, spiked up slightly with some framing his face - golden eyes glinting and observant as he glanced around her shop.

"Thank you, miss. I'm just browsing for now."

Sakura nodded with another smile, moving towards her counter in the back of the store and calling to him as she tucked her pencil behind her ear. "Just let me know if you need help with anything!"

Now, Sakura had been living in Miyako for no more than two years, but she had an excellent memory and could at least recognize most of the residents of the city, from either faces she saw in her shop or faces she passed in the market. Sure, there were tourists that passed through occasionally. But they mostly visited the upper district and she barely saw new people in her humble, little apothecary.

She had a nice business and loyal customers that swore by her all-natural, healing salves and herbal mixes, her small shop filled with jars of lotions and ointments that had different medicinal purposes, bottles of dried herbs for teas that could cure or treat damn-near anything, assorted charms - sweet smelling plants and herbs entwined and easily hung near doors and beds - that ward off a variety of evil spirits, lovely crystals for all sorts of ailments, and vibrant plants that filled the empty spaces and we're often bought to brighten homes.

A less expensive alternative to buying pricey spells from a local wizard.

Okay, so maybe a _few_ of her regular customers suspected her of being a witch, but no one knew for sure and Sakura was perfectly happy keeping it that way, practiced in suppressing her magic when she was around others. There was a nasty stigma against witches in the city and she kept a relatively low profile, just enough magic slipped into her mixes and salves and charms to boost the already-present natural healing abilities of the ingredients. And _maybe_ she occasionally added in a little extra of her own healing magic when she shook hands with an unwell customer after their purchase, the energy lingering in their system long enough to help the unsuspecting person as the week passed.

Sakura just really enjoyed helping people.

But this stranger didn't seem ill or uneasy, so she kept an eye on him as he browsed around, reaching up to play with her necklace absent-mindedly. She ran her fingers over the metal blossoms of the plum tree branch, the charm resting horizontally on her collarbone and connected on either end to the gold chain around her neck. Sakura dropped her hand to the counter when a different customer approached, an older woman she recognized as the local butcher's wife, three tins of herbal tea in her arms.

Sakura smiled, recognizing the label as the one for her mix for headaches and migraines, and chatted with the woman as she rang her purchase up, gaze occasionally drifting over to the man, her view obstructed by a potted plant on one of the display tables of crystal prisms and clusters.

"Restocking already? Seems like you were here barely two weeks ago, Mrs. Kagawa!"

The older woman laughed, inspecting one of the good-luck charms on display at the counter. "I ran out faster than I anticipated! My eldest is getting married and I've been in such a flurry helping her get things ready, I end up drinking a cup at _least_ thrice a day for the headaches. Your tea always helps and I sleep through the night like a baby."

Sakura chuckled, watching the stranger inspect the shelf of incense out of the corner of her eye. Wrapping the tins up in paper and tying the bundle with some twine as Mrs. Kagawa searched through her purse for exact change, the pinkette let a little of her magic seep into the package, settling amongst the dried herbs in the tins.

"Try sweetening it with some honey, that should help a little more with the headaches." Sakura suggested, dropping the money in with the rest of today's profits before handing the woman's purchase over. Mrs. Kagawa smiled widely at her, missing the way Sakura's fingertips glowed a soft green for a moment when their hands touched, and nodded, thanking her as she headed out.

The butcher's wife had been the only other person in the shop besides Sakura and the stranger and, now that she was gone, the pinkette was that much more aware of his presence. She turned, sparing him a glance as he examined the crystals behind him, and slipped through the door to the back of her shop. She passed the stairs that led to the upper floor where she lived and grabbed more wrapping paper from her storeroom, pausing to pull her shoulder blade-length, pink hair up into a quick bun and smoothing out her apron before returning to the front of the building, just as the stranger approached the check-out counter.

Sakura smiled and deposited the bundle of plain, tan wrapping paper under the desk, glancing towards the can of herbal tea for good dreams in his hand.

"I hope you found everything okay, sir." She greeted, smile in place as she held back her frown at the sight of the black gloves on his hands, catching a glimpse of some sort of rune or sigil stitched into the palm of one. The rest of his outfit was pretty simple - a long, black coat buttoned up over a plane grey shirt, black trousers, and worn boots. He nodded, golden eyes unthreatening but not necessarily very kind (they were more curious and keen, very observant and obviously picking up fine details of his surroundings), and turned his attention to the cluster of succulents next to the good luck charms, trailing a gloved finger over the rim of the pot.

"Yes, thank you. You have a very lovely shop, Miss..?" He trailed off, eyes traveling back up to her face curiously.

"Sakura," She replied with a smile, tying the twine around his wrapped purchase as she told him his total before continuing, "And, I hope you don't mind me asking, but I don't think I've seen you around here before. Are you new to Miyako, Mister..?"

His smile was even and unassuming as he handed her the money, one hand dropping into the pocket of his long coat as she gathered his change.

"Kazeo. Yes, I'm fairly new to the city. I was exploring today when I'm afraid I got a little lost, but, fortunately, I happened upon your shop."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow at this reveal but felt her face warm slightly as he continued, her smile widening.

"I'm certainly glad I found you rather than my way home," Kazeo said, gloved hand brushing hers when he reached for the package, "Your merchandise is both charming and incredibly useful; I'll have to stop by again some time."

She laughed, clasping his hand between hers as she handed him his change and letting some lucky energy drift over the cloth - a little something to help him find his way home quicker. "Well, you're welcome back anytime, Kazeo."

Dropping his hand, she stepped around the counter and walked him to the front door, holding it open and gesturing down the street. "If walk down this way and take a right at the carpenter's - the shop down there with the blue door - and keep going straight, you'll end up back on the main square of the upper shopping district. That should help you get your bearings and you can take a tram from there to just about anywhere in the city."

Sakura turned to him and clasped her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels as she smiled up at the tall man. "Tell the driver your street name and he'll let you know which stop to get off on that's the closest to your destination. I'm sure, by then, you'll be back in familiar territory."

Kazeo smiled kindly back down at her as he inclined his head with a small nod, thanking her politely and promising to visit again before setting off down the street. Sakura sent him a wave and turned back to her building, locking the door behind her as she closed the shop. It didn't take long to refill shelves and water the plants, pausing in the middle of her cleaning as she frowned down at the odd pile of black dust she'd gathered - dirt? Or maybe soot? Had one of the blacksmiths come in earlier that day? - before simply depositing it in the trash and fixing her displays one last time.

**::**

True to his word, Kazeo visited again later that week - and at least twice every week after for a month straight.

He stopped by around the same time every visit, staying and browsing the store until she closed up shop and always buying a single item. There were rarely any other customers around since it was so late and he usually had her undivided attention. After the second week, she was more than happy to have him hang around the back counter and chat with her, sure that he'd become well accustomed to the layout of her store and her stock after spending so much time browsing the unchanging displays.

She quickly grew to look forward to his visits, eventually comfortable enough around Kazeo to invite him into the backroom after she closed the shop for the day for a quick snack and cup of tea as they chatted about their lives. He was charming and witty and interesting and, after one particular week where he visited every day, he left her with a gift, gently pressed into the palm of her hand as he left with his bundle of dried sage and sweetpea.

She blinked down at the small, metal blossom in her hand, smiling as she recognized it as her namesake. There was a strong magnetic energy coming from the metal - black and shiny and very lovely - and she took it up to her bedroom after she cleaned up the shop, grinning when it stuck to the metal frame of her mirror.

Sakura was just changing out of her work clothes when she glanced out the window of her bedroom, easily spotting Kazeo down on the street, walking back from the direction of his usual path home. She thought for a moment that maybe he'd forgotten something and was about to head back downstairs to meet him when he stopped just down the street from her shop but still within her line of sight.

After a moment, a man, too far away for her to see his face clearly but easily able to spot his red hair, walked out of one of the buildings on the other side of the street. He paused in front of Kazeo, his head turning towards her shop briefly before the pair walked down the street and disappeared around a corner.

Odd.

Another new stranger - at least, she thought so since she couldn't really see his face well.

Kazeo had never mentioned other friends in the city or much of a family and, from her understanding, he lived alone. Perhaps this red-haired man was a new companion of his?

Shrugging to herself, Sakura continued to get ready for bed, sending the metallic flower a fond smile.

**::**

Sakura had the next day off, her shop closed as it always was on Saturdays, and she traveled to the main market to do a little grocery shopping. It was a bustling, busy day and she smiled and greeted familiar faces, making a mental note to head up to the big shopping district to splurge on herself a little. She was picking out fresh fruit when a conversation over at a baker's booth caught her attention, head inclining slightly in the direction as she listened in.

"Another wizard vanished?" An older man asked his companion, examining a loaf of bread, "That's a shame. Their kind are dropping like flies around Miyako."

The other man nodded, arms crossed and expression pitying. "Not just here. Apparently a lot of the other cities are losing their spell-sellers and mages. Heard a wizard up in the capital city went missing last month."

The first man gave a low whistle and Sakura frowned to herself, setting an apple down in her basket. True, over the past few months (almost a year she realized with a sinking feeling), wizards and sorcerers were going missing - vanishing without a trace and leaving behind ransacked shops and lairs. There had been rumors of civillians getting caught in the middle of whatever conflict that was going on in the midst of the magical community - though Sakura had her suspicions that these 'civillians' were secret witches, much like herself. Two wizards in Miyako had fallen to the same fate and, while Sakura was very careful about keeping her witch secret to herself, she was worried that she'd end up the same. She'd taken precautions, of course, a few warding barriers over her home and quick spell at the ready in case she needed to make a speedy exit.

Sakura moved on, paying for her produce before traveling down the street to the fishmonger, pausing when she cause the sight of red hair out of the corner of her eye. She turned, quickly spotting the man she'd seen with Kazeo the day before passing by. This close, she could get a better look at him - a lovely face with sharp features and tanned skin and pretty, soft brown eyes with a heavy-lidded, dreamy gaze - and she found him... oddly familiar, though she couldn't quite place where she's seen him before.

He was dressed simply - a loose, wide-collared white shirt and black pants tucked into knee-high boots, the light catching on gold stitching on the seams of the pantlegs, and a long black cloak billowing out behind him. He glanced her way very briefly, looking a little surprised when he realized she was looking at him, before continuing down the busy street, no falter in his step. Sakura looked around, wondering if Kazeo was nearby as well.

With no sight of the taller man, she followed after the red-head, intending to introduce herself to whom she hoped was Kazeo's friend. Excusing herself as she passed through the crowd, she clutched her basket close and just barely spotted the man turning down an alleyway and disappearing around the corner.

Only, when she turned the same corner, she was met with an empty alley, an overturned trash can and a couple sidedoors to the surrounding buildings being the only things of note. Sakura frowned to herself and crossed her arms, one hand firmly holding the handle of her basket. Where did he go?

Feeling a little uneasy, she raised her free hand to fiddle with the gold branch of her necklace, turning to head back to the market-

Only to stumble backwards as she walked into a person standing directly behind her, bumping into their chest.

"Oh! Excuse me." She quickly apologized, stepping back as she glanced up after making sure she hadn't dropped any of her groceries. Her eyebrows furrowed as she was met with another unfamiliar face, the new stranger straightening his glasses as he smiled at her.

"No, no. Excuse _me_ , miss. I shouldn't have stopped so close behind you."

Sakura fought back her frown as she looked him over - simple traveling clothes, dark jacket with what looked like a serpent embroidered in purple thread stitched into the lefthand cuff, large circle-lense glasses, and silver hair pulled back in a ponytail - and resisted the urge to take another step back, feeling a little more nervous now as she glanced over his shoulder toward the crowd of shoppers in the street. He was still blocking her path...

"C-can I help you?" She asked hesitantly, hand still on her necklace as she ran her fingers over the metal blooms reassuringly.

"I'm sorry," He replied, holding up his hand to reveal what looked suspiciously like her coinpurse, "But I think you dropped this. I didn't mean to startle you."

She blinked in surprise, her hand dropping to the pocket sewn into her dress - a simple, comfortable, ankle-length gown with a dark grey bodice and lighter grey sleeves and matching skirt, white, embroidered flowers scattered around the bottom of the skirt - and indeed finding it empty.

"O-oh! Thank you, sir. I hadn't even noticed..." She trailed off, reaching up to take it back only to frown when the stranger moved his hand slightly further out of reach for a moment.

He chuckled at her glower, eyeing the empty alley behind her before offering the small floral-printed purse again, his hand brushing hers much longer than necessary. She shuddered at his touch, dark energy just _dripping_ from his skin, and quickly snatched her coinpurse back, shoving it into her pocket and recoiling when he took a step closer towards her.

"You should be a little more careful, miss." He replied with an unsettling smile. "A less honest man would have kept it for himself."

His hand raised towards her face, a knuckle of his forefinger brushing her chin as his gaze narrowed and his smile widened.

Glaring hard up at him, Sakura gathered magic to her hand still in her pocket, ready to force the creepy man back at a moment's notice, emerald gaze steady and angry. His hand tensed slightly and he leaned forward a little and Sakura had a sinking suspicion that he was going to grab her chin when, suddenly, she heard a child cry and something grabbed her leg through the skirt of her dress.

The man took a quick step back in surprise and Sakura glanced down to find a young boy clinging to her, small hands clutching the fabric of her dress as he cried and sniffled.

She glanced up to find the silver-haired man glaring down at the child before looking back up at her, his glasses glinting and his hand dropping to his side, fingers flexing. Eyes narrowing, she quickly crouched down and tried to calm the boy, shushing him gently as she ran her hand through his short, brown hair.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Are you lost?"

The boy gave another sniffle, his crying lessening as he looked up at her with teary, brown eyes. "I-I can't find my m-mommy..."

She gave him a gentle smile and pet his hair soothingly, letting the tiniest bit of calming energy seep into his scalp.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find her. Where was the last place you saw your mother, can you remember?"

The child nodded and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, explaining through his hiccups and sniffles that he'd last seen his mother picking fresh berries from a fruit stand.

When Sakura glanced up again, the silver-haired man had vanished and, inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Smiling down at the boy, she pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and wiped the tears from his forlorn, brown eyes before taking his hand and standing.

"We'll find her, sweetie. Which way did you come from?"

The pair had only been walking through the bustling street for a couple minutes when the boy tugged gently on the fabric of her dress, beckoning for her to crouch down to his eye-level. Sakura moved them to the side and a little more out of the way of the crowd of shoppers, and bent down, question dying on her lips when the boy moved close to whisper in her ear.

"Take a different path home, miss, and be safe. He's watching."

Bewildered, Sakura was just about to question the boy further when he suddenly pressed a peck to her cheek and ran off into the crowd. She made a sound of surprise and jumped up, calling after him as she searched through the passing crowd.

"H-hey, wait!" She pushed her way through the shoppers, earning a few questioning glances, but quickly lost sight of the boy. Confused and a little on edge, Sakura offered passersby quick apologies and moved out of the way, glancing down the street to try and spot the kid. With no luck, she huffed and frowned and shoved her hand into the pocket of her dress, slightly relieved to find that her small purse was still in its place.

Clutching her basket of groceries close, Sakura sent another wary glance down either side of the street, heart skipping a beat when she _swore_ she saw a flash of silver hair amongst the crowd. She thought back to the boy's foreboding warning and decided to take heed of his advice. Another quick look around and she stepped back into the crowd, heading further down the street and away from her usual route back home.

She moved with the natural current of the shoppers before ducking into a shop, the smell of baked goods meeting her in the doorway. Resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder to check if she was indeed being followed, Sakura approached the girl restocking the display of fresh pastries, smiling when she recognized her as a frequent customer of her own shop.

"Miss Kanako?"

The younger girl glanced up in surprise at being addressed but quickly grinned as she recognized Sakura, setting her tray of muffins down on top of the display. "Oh! Miss Sakura! How may I help you?"

"I'd like to purchase one of those lemon tarts," She gestured towards one of the desserts in a different display before offering the girl a sheepish smile, "And make an odd request."

Moments later, the tart wrapped up in a small box and resting amongst her groceries, Sakura was led through the kitchen in the back of the bakery to the rear exit. Kanako had, of course, been initially curious when Sakura asked if she could be allowed to exit through the back, but was quick to agree when the pinkette admitted that she'd been approached by a suspicious stranger and was afraid that she was being followed. Sometimes honesty was the way to go. Eager to help, Kanako hurriedly led her through the bakery, ignoring her mother's questioning look and opening the back door before wishing Sakura a safe trip home.

The exit opened into an alleyway, just big enough for a horse-drawn wagon to pass though to deliver supplies, and Sakura thanked the girl quickly, promising a free tin of tea of her choosing the next time she visited her apothecary. Once she was alone, Sakura glanced around to make sure the coast was clear and scurried further down the alley, pausing in front of a small puddle amongst the cobblestones.

She crouched down to view her reflection in the water before reaching into the side of her knee-high boot, fingers brushing her right calf. Sakura pulled her hawthorn wand from its hiding place in her boot alongside her leg, the fluorite cluster nestled in the twisted, wooden 'cage' at the tip of the wand glowing both soft green and pale blue. She tapped the tip of her wand to her reflection in the puddle, standing and stepping back once the spell had been cast and an identical Sakura began to form from the water.

The new Sakura slowly stood, bangs hanging over most of her face and hiding the vacant, glassy look in her eyes. The real Sakura gave the clone an order to head northeast towards upper districts of Miyako, traveling for at least thirty minutes before finding a safe place to dispell and return to water. Better safe than sorry.

The clone gave a curt nod before turning and heading down the alleyway and towards the street while Sakura glanced down at her clothes, chewing on her lip. The spell-clone was a perfect double and would be able to hold a decent enough conversation if anyone happened to stop it, but she should really use some sort of disguise before heading home herself. Sakura frowned - she'd never been the best at keeping disguising spells going for too long - before tapping the tip of her glowing wand to her free palm. Passing her hand over her hair, she nodded to her herself when it turned a dark shade of brown before doing the same to her dress, changing the greys to dark reds. Simple enough, but it'll do for now.

Eyes were tricky to conceal and she really didn't want to mess with hiding her irises so, instead, she quickly restyled her momentarily-brown hair, enough locks framing her face and draped over her eyes to hide her features well enough without looking odd. Nodding to herself once more, Sakura slipped her wand back into her boot, the spell over the shoe quickly wrapping around the hawthorn wand and keeping it comfortably in its own hidden 'pocket'.

Turning down the opposite way the clone had gone, Sakura hurried down the alley and made her way home.

**::**

It couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes later when she turned onto her home street and felt a sudden _pop_ in the edge of her awareness, signaling that her clone had been dispelled. Ears ringing slightly, she jumped in surprise, clutching her basket close before quickly moving down the street to her shop. The journey home had been uneventful and she hadn't felt anyone following her, but the sudden dispelling of her clone certainly had her on edge.

Gritting her teeth, brief glimpses of the clone's last sights rushed through her mind, but the faces were fuzzy and concealed by a powerful glamour and Sakura rushed into her home, quickly locking her door behind her before depositing her groceries in her kitchen and running upstairs to her bedroom. The quick disguise spell dissipating and allowing her hair and dress to revert back to their original colors, she emptied her pockets and tossed her small purse onto her bed as she made sure the windows were sealed and did a sweep of the building.

She had just finished bolting her backdoor when there was a sudden _shift,_ the feeling of her magical barriers being shredded and shattered hitting her subconscious with an icy chill. Sakura spun around, expecting to see an evil presence behind her - the barriers protecting her home could only have been broken that suddenly from the _inside -_ but found nothing, the room eerily silent as a shiver ran down her spine.

Something was definitely wrong.

She panicked for a moment before scrambling for her wand again. There was something _inside_ her home - she knew it, she could _feel_ it - and she needed to find it _now._

The fluorite crystal glowing it's mix of blue and green, Sakura drew a circle in the air in front of her, the glow leaving a lingering trail, before slicing vertically through it, calling the name of her familiar.

"Daughter of Milady Katsuyu, Lady Shiori!"

She held out her hand the moment she exclaimed the title, a puff of smoke appearing above her open palm before a weight fell into her hand. When the smoke cleared, a slightly large (about the size of a grapefruit), white and pale-green striped slug rested in her palm. It looked up at her, feelers swaying gently, and Sakura held her hand closer, looking a little uneasy.

"Mistress Sakura, how may I be of assistance to you?"

Shiori's voice rang gently in her mind, communicating telepathically through their bond. Sakura smiled weakly down at her slug companion, quickly moving to the center of the shop. It wasn't often that she summoned Shiori - only for really difficult or important spells - though the slug did occasionally pop in to visit her, much to Sakura's delight. She was a very magical creature, after all, and from a powerful bloodline (her mother was practically ethereal and resided in a magical forest inaccessible to most humans and magical folk alike) and the pinkette had been incredibly lucky to earn the chance to contract her as her familiar. The slug was by no means obligated to hang around Sakura 24/7 and, instead, would come when summoned - though she was certainly welcomed in Sakura's abode.

"There's something in my home," Sakura answered, hand gripping her wand as she glanced around nervously, "It broke my barriers and I can sense it's presence, but I can't pinpoint it's exact location."

Shiori nodded in understanding, moving up Sakura's arm to rest on her shoulder, her body comfortably cool against her neck. The slug was silent for a moment and Sakura knew she was focusing on her awareness, a tingling at the back of her head as she felt Shiori expand the range of her search. She held her breath, inclining her head slightly when the slug shifted, her voice drifting through her mind.

"Upstairs. Keep your wand at the ready, Mistress Sakura. I sense an evil presence."

Nodding, she hurried up the stairs and followed Shiori's directions, finding herself standing in her bedroom once more. She faced her bed, wand raised as she glanced around cautiously.

"There," came the familiar's voice, "I feel it leaking from the purse."

Sakura's gaze dropped to her coinpurse still sitting unassumingly on her bed and, with a quick flick of her wand, made the clasps snap open. There was no reaction at first but, as Shiori tensed on her shoulder, there was a sudden, angry _hiss._

Out of her purse slithered a black snake, the serpent coiling on her bed and hissing up at her as it's violet eyes glowed menacingly.

"A spying serpent," Shiori warily thought into her mind, "Someone sent it to track you, Mistress."

The snake gave another hiss and Sakura stepped forward carefully, jumping when the creature suddenly shuddered and seemed to melt, deforming into a vile-looking, purple liquid that ate through her bedding with an acidic hiss.

She cursed under her breath, quickly waving her wand to dissipate any lingering aftershocks of the nasty spell. Her mourning over her ruined bedsheets were cut short when her gaze fell on the open purse, her eyes narrowing.

"How did that even _get_ into my-!" She gasped, realization hitting her as she remembered the silver-haired man in the alley who had returned her purse to her. "That creep! I _knew_ there was something off about him!"

Shiori shifted slightly on her shoulder and Sakura reached up to run a gentle finger over her body, sighing to herself before offering the slug a smile. "Thank you, Lady Shiori. I'll need your aide in getting my barriers back up quickly. I-"

Sakura froze, cut off by the sound of a muffled knock from the front door below. Heart thudding in her ears, she gently asked the slug to move more behind her neck to stay better hidden before quickly grabbing a cloak from her closet, swinging it onto her shoulders and hiding her wand in the large sleeves.

Tense and wary, she made her way downstairs, frowning at the silhouette on the other side of the shop's door, the sun casting just enough light as it was beginning to set. Sakura approached carefully, hoping that it was one of her neighbors, or perhaps Kazeo, and not that creep from the alley.

She'd only made it halfway into her shop when she saw the lock on the door turn and heard a soft click, breath catching as she stopped midstep. Everything was still for a moment before the door slowly swung open, the bell chiming pleasantly, and darkness leaked into her home.

Sakura could still see the light of dusk behind the intruder, but an oppressing fog, cold and dark and overwhelming, seeped into the shop. She was incredibly thankful of the two pairs of gas lamps by the door and near the back counter, the soft light managing to break through the dark. Staring at the cloaked stranger, Sakura's fingers twitched as she clutched her hidden wand, ready to protect herself at a moment's notice.

The intruder took two large strides forward, the door slamming shut behind them as they reached up to pull back their hood, revealing inky-black hair and snow-pale skin. Cunning yellow eyes with slitted pupils landed on Sakura for a moment before they - he? - glanced away uncaringly, looking around her shop with a less than impressed look.

"So _this_ is where he's been lurking lately?" He said, sneering as his eyes roved over her merchandise and shelves. "It doesn't really seem his style. Simple, unassuming, _boring_ \- but it does reek of scorpion..."

Sakura frowned as he continued to ignore her, her gaze wary and pinned to the strange man as he meandered around her shop with a bored expression. When his eyes finally landed on her again, she felt a chill shoot up her spine.

"And an equally simple, human shopkeep. How _quaint_."

Her eyes narrowed as anger bubbled up in her and Shiori whispered into mind to stay on guard and wait for an opening. So, she continued to watch the intruder warily as he spoke aloud to himself, his expression turning a little curious.

"I don't know why he's interested in this _charming-_ " the word was _dripping_ with sarcasm, "-place. But," He muttered before raising his hand to point at her, "He actually bothered to put up guarding barriers, so you must be of _some_ importance to him."

Sakura tensed and frowned harder in her confusion before inwardly realizing that he'd mistaken her barriers as someone else's work. She tried to suppress her grin as she clutched her hidden wand and pushed her magic through it.

He didn't know she was a witch - she still had the element of surprise.

His hand began to glow a similar shade of purple as the acid-snake and she finally spoke, aiming to buy herself some time as she gathered energy while still keeping her magic concealed from the man.

"Who the hell are you?"

He seemed a little surprised - probably because she wasn't cowering in fear - before he scoffed, sneering at her again. "That is no concern of yours, girl. Now, tell me. Where is that thieving scorpion."

It was more of a demand than a question but Sakura simply growled in reply, Shiori shifting uneasily behind her neck. "I don't know who the hell you're talking about. Get out of my shop before I _make_ you."

His face split in a wide grin, though his golden eyes remained unamused, a pair of purple snakes appearing from the wide sleeve of his cloak as they wound around his raised hand. "Don't make me ask again, girl. You _do not_ want to make me angry."

Sakura was aware of Shiori suddenly gasping in her mind but, before the slug could speak, the door to her shop suddenly burst open and the energy in the building began to crackle and shimmer, something shifting out of the corner of her eye.

Both occupants looked to the door, Sakura's eyes widening as she realized it was Kazeo standing in the entrance, his golden gaze falling on the serpentine stranger who regarded him with a slightly annoyed look. Kazeo was silent, however, and the intruder was quick to speak, his twin snakes hissing in warning.

"I'm a little insulted that you'd send one of your _t_ _oys_ to face me, rather than yourself, Sasori."

What?

Sakura's eyes darted between the two men, jumping when she caught a glimmer on the edge of her vision and something shimmering and black shot past her. More of the shifting black poured forth from every nook and cranny in her shop and she almost thought it to be some sort of liquid until she heard how it rolled and skittered across the wooden floorboards, like sand sliding down a dune.

She quickly realized it was the same black dust she had been finding and cleaning up around her home for the past month.

More of the black sand poured from Kazeo's sleeves, the mounds growing and drifting through the air as it all gathered around him. With so much in one place, Sakura was able to detect the distinct smell of iron, but her mind was buzzing with too many questions for her to really focus.

_What_ was going on?

"Leave the girl be," said Kazeo finally as he raised a hand, the iron sand floating around his wrist, "She is not involved in our dispute."

The intruder sneered and quickly raised his own arm, one of the serpents shooting forward and morphing into a beam of pure, wicked, purple energy. The attack glanced off the quick shield formed by the black sand and the black-haired man shot another beam, this time landing a blow to Kazeo's face.

"She became involved the moment you stepped foot in this tacky shop and decided to protect a lowly human."

Sakura held back a scream when the bolt hit and she looked to Kazeo, half-expecting part of his face to be burned off but, instead, there was a shimmer of broken glamour falling from him and his features became oddly... wooden.

His hard, gold eyes took on a more glassy, lifeless look and there was a gaping hole in his cheek, splintered and broken wood where there should have been skin and blood.

She stared in confusion.

What the _hell._

Arm still raised, the iron sand around him morphed into sharp spikes, quickly shooting forward and aiming for the stranger. They were deflected, some bursting into sand while others were forced into different directions. Sakura ducked out of the way as one shot past her, hitting one of her tea tin displays and sending busted containers and herbs flying. She shouted in surprise, gaze stopping on the destroyed incense display across the room before the intruder shot another pair of energy bolts at Kazeo, who quickly dodged out of the way.

One hit a table of potted plants and the other shattered her window, scattering dirt and glass. The two men exchanged a few more blows as they darted and dodged around her shop and Sakura took cover behind the check-out counter, shrieking when an energy bolt burst through the wood next to her and splintered the panelling.

She glanced over the marble counter top, eyes wide in horror at her ruined shop before anger began to bubble in her stomach. Sakura rolled out from behind the counter when a deflected sand spike impacted the wall above her, hand gripping her wand as she intended to _end_ this fight.

Only, she froze when the serpent-welding man raised his hand towards her, golden eyes flickered to her before back to Shizeo. She quickly concealed her wand inside her sleeve again and prayed he hadn't noticed.

"I'm tiring of playing with your toy, Sasori. Show yourself or I'll _obliterate_ the girl."

He looked angry and annoyed and fired a warning shot at Sakura, the bolt whizzing past her ear and striking the wall next to her head.

Her breath hitched and Kazeo's blank, broken, wooden face turned towards her, his hands lowering robotically. It was quiet in the shop besides the sizzling of where the energy attacks had hit and the shifting of the iron sand. The stranger's hand began to glow purple again in warning.

And, then, there was a soft click to Sakura's right.

She glanced over her shoulder in confusion, watching as the door to the back of her store opened and there stood the red-haired man from the market, his black cloak hiding the rest of his form. Behind him was _definitely_ not the rest of her home, but he quickly closed the door before she could get a good look at the unfamiliar room, his half-lidded eyes falling on the sneering man as he walked past and stood in front of her.

He looked like he was about to address the black-haired man when Sakura interrupted him, unable to keep quiet any longer.

"Who are you and how the _h_ _ell_ did you get into my home?!"

The redhead glanced over his shoulder at her, expression slightly apologetic but also vaguely annoyed, and his lips parted, only for the serpentine man to interrupt, both of his arms raised and a snake coiled around either wrist, hands dripping with burning purple energy.

"There you are, you thieving warlock. Now, return what you took from me before I _really_ get angry."

Sakura glanced around her destroyed shop and something in her snapped, her rage bubbling and roiling through her chest. Like _hell_ she was going to let this fight continue.

"ENOUGH!"

There was a sudden snap and crackle in the air as Sakura stopped concealing her magic, a sudden gust sweeping through the shop before gathering around her. It blew around her ankles and both men turned to watch her in shock, her cloak and the skirt of her dress billowing and ruffling from the wind and her pink hair fluttering as she glared angrily at the two. She raised her arm and pointed her wand at the black-haired man, who's surprised gaze dropped from her face to her shoulder, Shiori moving out from her hiding place behind her neck. His eyes narrowed before he grinned, the crystal at the end of Sakura's wand glowing dazzlingly as broken plants and jars and herbs began to float and levitate from their ruined shelves as her magic crackled in the air.

"So Tsunade _did_ take on an apprentice, how _interesting."_

Sakura's eyes narrowed at the man's words - he knew her teacher? - before she used the pair's surprise to her advantage and flicked her wand, the front door to her shop swinging open and a huge gust of air blowing through the building, gathering up the iron sand as well as a few broken bottles and plants. The two men, as well as the now immobile Kazeo, were forcibly thrown out into the night and onto the street and Sakura raced forward, anger still boiling in her gut as she ignored their shouts. Another wave of her wand and the door quickly shut, her glowing hand slamming against the wood. There was a burst of white light from under her palm and, using the energy Shiori was offering, she quickly raised her barriers again, barring the men from her home.

Heart thudding and breathing shaky, Sakura held back her scream of frustration as she looked over her ruined shop, an opaque shimmer covering the destroyed window, and she resisted the urge to go out onto the street and give those assholes a good pummeling. Crouching, she examined a shattered crystal and let her shoulders sag before she finally noticed Shiori's soft voice ringing urgently through her mind.

Glancing to the slug, she offered her a weak smile, hand still clutching her wand tightly. "S-sorry, Lady Shiori. What were you saying?"

Shiori's voice was hushed and perturbed in her mind and she couldn't seem to sit still on Sakura's shoulder, inching closer to her.

"Those serpents were from the Ryūchi Cave. Only a very powerful, _dark_ mage or wizard would be able to summon them." Sakura stiffened slightly and her smile fell, her stomach dropping as the slug continued.

"You need to leave _now,_ Mistress Sakura."

She hesitated, emerald gaze darting to the sealed door as she _swore_ she could hear the sounds of a continued battle out on the street, before she nodded, hurrying to the back of her shop. Sakura reached into the cupboard next to the kitchen sink and grabbed the pack she'd filled with traveling essentials, immensely glad that she'd prepared that hasty retreat spell months in advance, and pulled the crystal orb from inside the bag.

Stepping towards the back door, she stopped and faced the inside of her home, back to the locked exit as she held the crystal ball delicately in her hand. Raising the orb, she tapped her wand against it three times, her magic entwining with Shiori's energy as the slug helped her focus. The magic quickly seeped through the rest of the building, from the ruined shop to the rooms up the stairs, the gas lamps dimming and many glowing, pulsing branches of light shot across the floorboards, stemming from under her feet.

Her dress began to flutter again in the breeze drifting around her legs and the clear crystal ball began to float, glowing a soft pink. Eyes closed as she concentrated, Sakura let out a soft breath, whispered words of containment echoing through her home as she let her free hand drop to her side. She felt the ground shift beneath her feet and felt a tug in her chest, her surroundings morphing and twisting as she cast her spell.

Within moments, her home was absorbed into the crystal ball, a miniature, exact replica - or, rather, the actual _contents_ , now minimized - of the interior of the building visible in the orb. Around her was an empty room, bare walls and floors with a few weeds bursting through the floorboards and a layer of dust coating everything that was left (which was barely anything at all). It was unsettlingly silent in her former home, stripped of all of its prior contents and, tapping the floating crystal ball once more, Sakura reached behind her to unlock the backdoor. The orb shrank down to the size of a marble and she quickly caught it as it dropped, tucking it into the pocket of her dress.

Her barriers would break down in moments and she quickly flung the door open and hurried out into the back alleyway, not sparing the desolate building a second glance. With her home in her pocket, Sakura reached up to the plum branch charm of her necklace and gave it a sharp tug. The chain snapped and shattered into golden dust and she slid her hawthorn wand back into her boot before slinging her pack onto her shoulder, tying her hair up and pulling the hood of her cloak over her head. She tossed the charm up and, while midair, it instantly grew several sizes, losing its gold sheen and the smell of plum blossoms drifting through the alleyway.

Catching her plum tree broomstick - a simple branch identical to the charm, with blooming plum blossoms and a sizeable length clear of outstretching branches - in one hand, she quickly sat astride it, expression grim and angered at having to leave. The enchanted wood of the branch was comfortable to rest on and, moments later, her feet left the ground and she darted up into the night sky.

She was silent for a few moments, nervously glancing around as she flew, half-expecting to be attacked in midair. After several minutes, it looked like she was safe and she relaxed a little.

"Lady Shiori," Sakura whispered to the slug still perched next to her neck, "It's going to be a long flight; you can return to the Shikkotsu Forest if you desire."

The city passed by below her and Sakura pulled her cloak tighter as the cold night air blew around her, her way lighted by the moon. The young familiar shifted closer, feelers gently nudging the skin of her neck.

"I will stay with you until we find our new home and you are safe, Mistress Sakura," came Shiori's gentle voice, and Sakura couldn't hold back her smile at the slug's words.

The pinkette inclined her head slightly and gave her companion and soft nuzzle, hands gripping her branch broom as she flew through the night sky.

"Thank you, Lady Shiori." Her smile fell slightly and she bit her lower lip, adjusting her grip on the branch. "And, when we find a place to rest, I would like you to contact Tsunade and ask her what she knows about a dark mage that wields snakes from the Ryūchi Cave. I have a bad feeling about that creep and it sounded like he knew her..."

Shiori was quick to agree to her request, a peaceful aura drifting from her small body and helping Sakura relax as she flew over farmers' fields and countryside. The pair fell silent and Sakura's mind buzzed with questions and accusations, her anger still rolling in the pit of her stomach.

_'A dark mage and a mysterious warlock, huh? Here's hoping I won't be seeing either of_ them _again any time soon.'_

Unfortunately, Sakura always had the worst luck when it came to wishes like that.


	2. A Hint of Frustration, Simmered in Suprise

Sakura would have easily flown through the night, the moon and stars creating a relatively peaceful atmosphere while she traveled through the night sky.

But, unfortunately, her anger began to dissipate and she was left feeling anxious and fearful, nervously glancing over her shoulder every so often as she flew. Shiori tried her best to help her stay calm, but Sakura's mind was too full of questions.

Who on earth was that mage with the snakes? She was antsy at the memory of his evil gaze and desperately wanted to contact her former teacher, certain that the older witch would be able to provide answers.

She replayed the scene in her shop over and over in her mind, still taken aback by Kazeo's reveal. Was he even human? After that glamour had disappeared, he seemed more like a wooden doll than an actual person and the sudden thought that she'd befriended - been _tricked_ into befriending? - some sort of fake, wooden man left her feeling oddly betrayed.

Which brought her flurried mind to the subject of the red-haired warlock. The serpentine mage had called him Sasori, hadn't he? The name didn't sound familiar and yet she _swore_ she'd seen his face somewhere before. Where did he play into all of this? Had he been... _controlling_ Kazeo?

She thought back to the clipped conversations between the black-haired mage and Kazeo, the entire event burned into her memory. He'd called him this Sasori man's 'toy'...

Sakura groaned in frustration and rubbed her forehead, steadying herself on the branch as she twisted around and grabbed her pack, reaching in to search for her compass. After consulting the convenient tool and the stars, she adjusted her course and began to head more northwest, Shiori napping on her shoulder. Her cloak billowed out behind her and the skirt of her dress ruffled in the wind, her feet tucked and crossed under her as she rode the branch through the night until, eventually, the fatigue of the day began to catch up to her.

She reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose before turning her attention to the ground far below. The moon was high in the sky by now and the night was silent with the exception of the calls of nocturnal animals. She'd have to find a place to rest sooner or later.

Glancing downwards, Sakura realized she was flying over a lake, the stars reflected on the surface of the calm water. Upon further inspection, she could see scattered clumps of land forming small islands in the large lake, the distant smell of moss and mud meeting her senses. A marshland?

She circled over a few of the small islands before picking one out and began to descend, stopping to hover over the still water. Dismounting her plum branch, Sakura threaded her magic through the soles of her boots and delicately stepped onto the surface of the lake, a small spray of shimmering water droplets scattering around her as her magic made contact. She stood carefully on the surface of the lake and let her broom shrink back to its smaller size, tucking it into her bun as she approached the small island in front of her.

The water glowed blue and dazzled with starlight wherever she stepped and she paused in front of the marshy land, reaching into her boot to remove her hawthorn wand. Sakura could hear crickets chirping and frogs croaking nearby and the distant hoot of an owl and, waving her glowing wand several times, a shimmering cloud of magical energy began to form in front of her. Once she was satisfied that she had enough, she blew gently into the twinkling cloud, the shimmers spreading out before falling onto the muddy land and absorbing into the earth.

The ground hardened enough to a point where she wouldn't have to worry about sinking into the muck and she stepped forward, giving the bewitched island a testing tap of her boot. Pleased, Sakura picked out a spot to set up camp and dropped her pack, crouching down to search through it for a moment. There wasn't much on the small island besides moss and clumps of tall grass and reeds and, while she was fairly far from the edge of the lake, it wouldn't hurt to take a few extra precautions.

After a moment she found the small silk bag of crystals for protection, gathering a handful of pyrite - fool's gold - before standing, wand at the ready. She gave the hawthorn a flick, the fluorite glowing gently, and tossed the crystals into the air. They skattered slightly before stilling in the air and, with another flick of her wand, they spread out evenly and landed along the edge of her small island, encircling her camp. For a moment, a near-transparent, shimmering, golden bubble appeared and formed a dome over the island before disappearing from sight, Sakura's nerves calmed by the temporary barrier.

Sakura nodded to herself, mumbling under her breath to Shiori, who had awoken from her nap from the feeling of the witch's magic gently gathering around them. "Those should keep us safe while we rest. I don't think we were followed, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

Reaching back into her bag, Sakura pulled out a blanket that looked a _little_ too big to have actually fit inside the pack and any normal human would have balked at the sight of her pulling out a cloth-wrapped half-loaf of bread as well. Her traveling bag - a single-strapped, leather bag with a pair of extra pockets on the front and a lucky charm dangling from the latch of the main flap - was obviously enchanted.

She spread the blanket out on a relatively flat area of the island and plopped down with a groan, tearing off a chunk of the bread and offering it to Shiori as she apologized for not packing something leafy and green for her. Satisfied with just bread for now, Sakura laid back and allowed herself to think of Miyako.

The witch wasn't sure how far she had traveled, but she knew she had been flying for several hours. It was sad to think that she'd probably never return to the pleasant city - she hated to think how her customers would react when they found her shop empty and abandoned come Monday morning - but Sakura had never been one to stay in one place for too long. Most witches were fairly nomadic, unless they happened to _really_ get attached to a particular area, but her two years spent in Miyako had been nice.

Sighing, she watched the stars and made herself comfortable, her pack under her head to use as a pillow and her cloak wrapped around herself. With Shiori's calm energy settling over her to help her relax, Sakura eventually drifted off as her mind worked to figure out her next course of action.

**::**

Morning came with the soft chirping of birds and Sakura awoke to a lovely sunrise, the warm colors reflected on the surface of the lake. She sat up with a yawn, stretching to work out the kinks from sleeping on the ground - inwardly, she chastised herself for not thinking to enchant the blanket to make it more comfortable - before gathering up her belongings. Munching on another chunk of her bread, she stumbled about sleepily after shoving the blanket haphazardly back into her pack, wand at the ready and the small silk pouch in her free hand.

Muffling another yawn into the back of her hand, Sakura swirled the hawthorn above her head, calling the pyrite crystals back. Once the cube-shaped crystals were gathered, circling lazily above her head, she held the silk bag open and beckoned them back into their pouch. Satisfied, she finished packing and shouldered her pack once more, reaching up to pluck her still-small plum branch from her bun and taking a moment to let her hair down.

When she was back in the air, perched on her branch and a sleepy Shiori on her shoulder, Sakura gave a final flick of her wand to break the spell she'd laid over the island, the ground returning to its marshy softness, and took to the sky. Her wariness from the night before had worn off and she was oddly excited at the aspect of setting off on a journey to find a new home, mind buzzing with plans.

Should she immediately set up a new shop in a new city? Or should she maybe travel the country for a few months? Perhaps she could visit a few old friends...

"Where are we headed, Mistress?" Came Shiori's soft voice in her mind, the slug nestling close to her neck as Sakura's hair blew back in the breeze of the flight.

"The coast is a few days' travel away, but it's been years since I last saw the sea..." She answered aloud, her familiar seeming pleased by the idea. "We'll find a town and a place to stay - an inn or maybe a cottage to rent - and, by then, we'll be far enough away from Miyako that we can relax and I can try to get in contact with Tsunade. I'm still thinking about what to do after that..."

"I've never seen the sea before, but the idea sounds lovely."

Sakura smiled, reaching up to stroke Shiori's back with a gentle finger. "I think you'll like it. I know of a few towns that have nice views and the weather is always humid. Though, hopefully there isn't too much salt in the air to irritate your skin..."

Shiori's laugh was a gentle chiming in her mind and the witch smiled fondly, turning her head to watch the sunrise as she flew. It had been a while since she'd found herself without a plan or a clear destination, but traveling had always been fun and it was exciting to think about the journey ahead of her.

Ultimately, Sakura flew for three days.

The witch and familiar camped in the countryside as they traveled, avoiding bigger cities and towns until Sakura was ready to return to civilization. They happened upon a farmer traveling into market on the second day, his wagon full of fresh vegetables that had both of their stomachs grumbling.

One could only imagine the farmer's surprise when a young woman with pink hair descended from the sky on a plum tree branch, asking to purchase some of his freshly harvested crops.

Sakura left with half a dozen carrots and a small head of lettuce, inwardly glad that she'd remembered to pack some money into her bag beforehand. She eventually passed over a winding river and eagerly stocked up on fresh water after searching through her bag for an empty bottle, letting Shiori take a refreshing break on the moist shoreline.

By the time the pair made it to the coast, Sakura had left most of her worries behind her, focused on finding a place to stay for a few days and dying for a bath.

They eventually found a quaint, cliffside town that overlooked the sea, a lush forest behind it and misty mountains in the far, far distance. It wasn't _too_ small of a town but it still probably wouldn't be a good idea to just drop down in the middle of the market, so Sakura landed in the forest near the main road that led into the village, after taking a few minutes to admire the view of the sea.

She took a moment to clean herself up the best she could, tucking the small-again plum branch into her hair and smoothing out her dress. It felt nice to stretch her legs after three days of flying and she relished the cool air of the coast, tucking her pouch of emergency money into the pocket of her dress for quick access.

It was a short walk into the town and Sakura received a few curious glances, eventually finding a cozy inn towards the center of the village. She put on her friendliest smile and walked in, hurrying towards the front desk and trying to look as unthreatening as possible. Most towns were fairly welcoming of traveling witches - at least ones with pretty faces - and Sakura didn't bother to hide Shiori, guessing that the townsfolk would figure out what the pair was on their own. It was easy to live in bigger cities where there was already an abundance of magic (making a _living_ in big cities, however, was a different story entirely), so long as a witch didn't cause any trouble, but small, reclusive villages were often superstitious and unwelcoming of strangers. The towns in the middle were usually a nice compromise, especially if they were in need of a healer or spell-seller and, inwardly, Sakura hoped the townsfolk here would find her as more of a novelty than a threat.

And, judging by the excited twinkle in the eyes of the girl behind the welcome desk of the inn, Sakura had lucked out.

"Welcome!" The girl greeted with a bubbly smile, her dark blonde hair bouncing as she couldn't seem to sit still in her excitement. "Looking for a room, Ma'am?"

The pinkette smiled back and approached the desk, nodding pleasantly as she adjusted her pack. "Yes, please - two nights."

Enough time to research the surrounding cities and clean up her home, still tucked away in the crystal marble. Maybe even make a little money, depending on whether the town was in need of a witch or not.

"Excellent!" The girl looked like she was waiting for Sakura to start shooting off dazzling spells, almost reluctant to turn towards the wall of keys behind her. "Do you have a room preference, Ma'am?"

**::**

Once Sakura was all checked in and had paid for the room, the hostess a little disappointed that she hadn't done anything exciting, she hurried upstairs to her rented room, immediately dropping onto the bed with a pleased sigh.

Shiori crawled off of her shoulder and made herself comfortable, apparently just as happy to be out of the air as her witch mistress. After a few moments of relaxing on the comfy mattress, Sakura sat up and reached into her pocket to fish out the crystal marble, just as she'd left it. Pulling out her wand as well, she gave the marble a light tap with the glowing fluorite and let it return to its normal size.

She peered down at her shrunken belongings contained in the orb, running her thumb over the surface of the crystal and rolling the view between rooms, trying to decide which one to deal with first. She stopped on the kitchen, her shelves of ingredients and cooking utensils resting on invisible walls and in invisible drawers, her gaze pausing on the discarded basket of groceries on the kitchen table. Sakura let out a groan and rubbed her forehead, grumbling to herself.

"Great. _Ew._ Those are all probability rotted by now."

Best not to leave the undoubtedly ruined produce in there any longer.

With an annoyed sigh, Sakura focused on the basket, tapping her wand to the crystal orb once more to summon it to her. There was a sudden puff of smoke and, when it cleared, the basket was sitting on her lap, her nose wrinkling at the smell of groceries that had been sitting out for too long. Sakura sighed and began to sort through the fruits and vegetables, searching for anything that might have still been edible. She paused as she picked up the small box in the basket, remembering the lemon tart she had bought.

The witch perked up at the memory of Kanako, slapping her hand to her forehead. "Oh, damn, right! I still owe her some tea for helping me out..."

Sakura quickly set the basket aside and returned her attention to the crystal ball, swiping her finger over the surface until the view of her ruined shop came into focus. Squinting down at the orb, she searched for a tin of tea that _hadn't_ been destroyed by the mage and Kazeo. Managing to spot one still resting on one of the battered shelves - a before-bed mix for peaceful sleep and sweet dreams - Sakura decided it was good enough and quickly summoned it from inside the ball, changing the view to that of her storeroom and summoning a ribbon and piece of paper as well.

With the ribbon tied around the tin and a scribbled, polite Thank You note attached, Sakura turned to Shiori, beckoning her over.

"Could you make a quick delivery for me, Lady Shiori? The bakery is far enough away from the old shop that you should be safe to teleport there and back."

The slug was perfectly happy to run the errand, committing the address and mental image of the shop to memory before wishing Sakura a quick farewell as she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sakura spent the rest of the evening cleaning up her contained shop, wand in hand as she guided shrunken items around inside their temporary crystal home. Organizing broken shelves attached to invisible walls and cleaning up spilled salves and broken containers, she was still hunched over the crystal orb when Shiori returned. She took a moment to stretch, swiping her thumb over the crystal with a sigh before laying back and running a hand through her hair.

"When we finally find a place to settle down for a while, I'll be able to extract everything all at once and _really_ get to cleaning that mess up." She rolled her shoulders, pulling the view of her bathroom into focus. "But, until then, everything's going to have to stay inside."

A flick of her wand and drawers and cabinets opened inside the orb, allowing Sakura to search for her favorite soaps and shampoo before summoning them as well. With her toiletries in her arms, she shuffled into the bathroom attached to her rented room, cackling triumphantly at the sight of a waiting bathtub.

One long, relaxing bath and a good scrubbing later, Sakura emerged feeling refreshed and _clean_ for the first time in days. She summoned a change of fresh underwear - much more comfortable than the simple pairs she had packed into her bag - and a nightgown from the crystal and got dressed before perching herself on the bed, pulling a folded map from her traveling pack. Legs crossed and one of the leftover carrots in hand, Sakura unfolded the large map and spread it out in front of her. With Shiori perched on her knee, she gave the enchanted map a quick tap with her wand and waited for the small, glowing spot to appear, pinpointing her current location.

"So," Sakura said, offering her familiar a still-crisp lettuce leaf, "Where should we go?"

**::**

After the pair had decided to head north towards the mountains - Tsunade had been traveling around the Ginzan Mountain range last Sakura heard from her - they hunkered down for the night, a handful of pyrite left by the base of the door and on the windowsills to keep any unwanted guests out. Sakura planned to spend the day buying supplies so she wouldn't have to keep summoning stuff from the crystal, prepare a few useful spells beforehand, and try to contact Tsunade before mapping out her journey to the mountains.

She awoke to the distant cries of a rooster, rubbing her face into her pillow as she yawned before rolling out of bed. After freshening up, the witch grabbed her crystal orb and pulled up the view of her bedroom, summoning a change of clothes - a comfy, wide-collared, light blue shirt with puffy sleeves and high-waisted, dark grey trousers - before her gaze landed on the small, metal blossom still attached to her mirror. Sakura paused, clothes resting in her lap, before summoning the metal flower as well, frowning down at it as it appeared in her hand with a small puff of smoke.

"Should I even keep this?" She muttered aloud, soft enough so she didn't wake Shiori (still sleeping peacefully on the second pillow, a few uneaten bits of lettuce next to her). Sakura sighed and rolled the black blossom around in her hand, her chin resting on her free hand as she sat on the bed.

"It was a gift but..."

Frowning, she set it aside and distracted herself with getting dressed, gathering the pyrite now that the night had passed uneventfully. Would she really want to keep a gift from a man who had inadvertently ruined her home and livelihood? From a man who probably wasn't even really _human?_

She shook her head clear of these thoughts, not wanting to spend her morning worrying herself over what had happened.

Breakfast was another carrot - she was dying for a full meal, maybe the inn had a banquet hall she could visit - and she placed another leaf of lettuce next to the still-slumbering Shiori, smiling fondly to herself. She spent a few moments tidying up the room before deciding to head out and start exploring the town. Sakura was just in the middle of braiding her hair when the slug suddenly snapped awake, her voice urgently ringing through her mind with a start.

"Mistre-!"

The door to her room suddenly slammed open and Sakura scrambled backwards with a shriek of surprise, shocked gaze on the door as a familiar red-haired man stepped in.

Shock quickly turned to anger.

_"YOU!"_

"Why didn't you tell me you were a witch?" He said with an irritated look, ignoring her accusatory shout and striding into the room as if it was the most casual thing.

"Wha-?! How the _hell-?!"_ Sakura stumbled over her words for a moment, bewilderment and confusion quickly mixing in with the anger as she grabbed her wand and pointed it at him threateningly. "Get _out!"_

He seemed to ignore her again, crossing his arms as he glanced around the room nonchalantly, expression still annoyed. "I'll admit, I'm a little impressed. You have a real knack for suppressing your magic - I had no _idea_ you were a witch-"

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Ignored again, he just sent _her_ an accusing look, "But now you've gone and gotten that bastard Orochimaru interested and made such a big mess of things."

_"Me-?!"_ Sakura's glare faltered for a moment as she stared at him incredulously - was this guy _for real?_ It took her anger mere moments to return and she let out a scream of frustration, stomping forward and grabbing the redhead by the front of his shirt. Lifting him a good half-foot off the ground as her hands glowed blue with strength-enhancing energy, emerald glared up into brown, Sakura's teeth clenched and shoulders stiff.

"Who _are_ you?!"

His eyes widened almost unnoticeably and she _swore_ she saw a brief mix of surprise and amusement flash through his gaze before he simply regarded her with a bored, slightly annoyed look, one of his hands moving to grip her wrist.

"Akasuna no Sasori."

She felt her eye twitch at how frustratingly _calm_ he sounded before her glare darkened as he continued.

"Put me down, brat."

She raised him a few inches out of pure spite, holding up her other hand and pointing her wand at his face.

"Why are you following me, _Sasori?"_

His nose wrinkled slightly and the grip on her wrist tightened, the fingers of his free hand twitching. "That's my own business and none of yours. Now, put me _down."_

Sakura growled under her breath, her half-braided hair lifting slightly as the energy filling the room swirled around the pair, her gaze darting to her left briefly. With a flick of her wand, the shutters to the large window flew open and she shoved her wand into her back pocket before grabbing the redhead with her now-free hand and-

Chucking him out the open window.

A split-second decision, but effective.

There was a chorus of shouts - from both the warlock and passing pedestrians down below - but Sakura quickly slammed the window shut and turned back to the room, grabbing her belongings and shoving them into her pack.

She was only on the second floor, he couldn't have gotten hurt _too_ badly.

Her cloak quickly swung onto her shoulders and a still slightly-shaken Shiori perched on her bag, Sakura raced downstairs with her full-sized plum broom in hand, startling the girl behind the front desk. The hostess quickly took in her flustered, haphazardly packed appearance, jumping with a start and catching the key to Sakura's room when the witch tossed it to her.

"Ch-checking out early, Ma'am?" She called in bewilderment before her expression turned excited, watching the pinkette mount the plum branch and a flurry of wind kick up around her, the front doors to the inn slamming open.

"Yes, sorry, thank you!" Sakura replied back with a hurried shout before quickly darting out the doors and into the sky.

She ascended rapidly, not bothering to spare the town a backwards glance as she put as much distance between herself and the warlock as possible. The wind whipped around her violently as she flew at a breakneck pace, her glare still in place as she grit her teeth and tried to control her thudding heart. Shiori had quickly taken shelter inside her bag and Sakura could feel her energy buzzing around them as the slug made sure they weren't being followed.

Eventually, miles away from the quaint town, Sakura slowed down, her knuckles white from clenching the branch so hard.

"How the _hell_ did he- When did- AUGH!" Sakura let out a scream of frustration, flying a few feet higher to pass over an oncoming flock of geese before growling to herself.

"O-one moment we were alone and then, suddenly, I felt his presence outside the door." Came Shiori's voice in her mind, the slug carefully peeking out of the bag. "I didn't have enough time to warn you, Mistress - I'm sorry."

"No, no! It's not your fault, Lady Shiori!" Sakura replied back, her voice taking a much more gentle tone as she slowed to a stop in the air and reached into her bag. "He caught _both_ of us off-guard."

The familiar crawled up the witch's arm, moving to rest against her neck. Sakura made sure she was comfortable before continuing the flight, moving at a slightly slower pace. Shiori's voice rang through her mind again, still sounding slightly perplexed.

"I hadn't sensed anyone following us the past few days, but he might have been concealing himself..."

The pinkette gave a small nod, replaying the scene in her mind. "He _must_ have been hanging around for a while. There's no way he could have found us so suddenly."

Her frown deepened and she glared at a passing bird, fingers clenching around the branch again.

"The bastard must have just been _waiting_ for me to remove the pyrite - the crystals would have kept him out."

Shiori gave a soft hum of agreement, leaning against Sakura's neck as they flew, clouds drifting peacefully overhead and the silhouette of mountains in the distance. The witch wasn't slightly disorientation from her sudden flight but the far-away mountain range brought her some comfort and she took a few calming breaths, beginning her journey once more.

**::**

Sakura didn't stop flying until both the day and night had passed.

She traveled throughout the day, snacking in midair on what was left of her carrots and ushering Shiori back into her pack for more rest and to get her out of the wind. Rather than head straight towards the mountains as they had originally planned, Sakura took a winding path over the countryside, just in case the strange mage was tracking her somehow. She passed over several towns and a couple larger cities but didn't stop, too concerned with gaining as much distance as possible.

She flew through the night as well, stubbornly staying awake as the stars twinkled above her and the glow of the waning moon provided her with enough light to stay on her tentative course. Shiori stayed awake with her as they traveled, helping her stay alert and focused, but, eventually, the day finally caught up with the witch.

When the warm rays of dawn began to appear in the horizon, Sakura was a little surprised, having not realized that she'd flown until morning. Her flying was a little unsteady, not too worrying but enough for Shiori to notice how tired she was, and she reached up to rub her eyes, stifling a yawn into her fist.

"Well should find a place to rest," Shiori said softly into her mind, her feelers nudging Sakura's jaw gently. "You've been flying for too long, Mistress."

The witch looked like she was going to argue that she wasn't tired, but then another yawn tore through her and she gave a reluctant sigh as she nodded.

"Alright, alright. Just a quick break and then we head out again. I don't want to risk the chance of that warlock catching up with us..."

They passed over a town mere moments after Sakura agreed to take a rest and she circled back before descending just on the outskirts, ignoring the curious glances of a few townsfolk. After finding an inn and managing to get a room so early in the morning (the man behind the check-in desk finally relented after picketing a little extra money from her), Sakura quickly made her way downstairs the hall and up the stairs, sparing a moment to set out her pyrite before dropping onto the bed.

Within moments, she was asleep.

And she didn't wake until the sun was low in the sky, her stomach growling angrily and finally forcing her awake. Sakura rolled over with a groan, her hair a mess from both flying all day and night and sleeping so haphazardly, and took a moment to stretch as she blinked away the lingering sleep. Her stomach gave another growled and Shiori's soft laugh rang through her mind, the small slug crawling over to her.

"Sleep well, Mistress Sakura? I kept watch while you rested."

Sakura combed her fingers through her hair before pulling it up into about messy bun, sending her familiar a smile. "Yes, thank you, Lady Shiori. Rested, but _starving._ We might have to do a little shopping - I think we're out of food."

Shiori nodded, crawling onto the witch's offered hand and taking her place on her shoulder as Sakura searched through her pack. Her fingers brushed something cold and she frowned to herself, pulling out the metal blossom Kazeo had given her. She scrutinized it with a wary gaze, vaguely remembering tossing it into her bag during her hurried retreat the previous morning.

The pinkette thought over the sudden appearance of the warlock, Sasori, and how he'd barged into her room without a warning.

"He showed up pretty soon after I pulled this out of the crystal ball," She muttered aloud, her eyes narrowing. "You don't think..."

She stood up quickly, glancing to Shiori before glaring down at the metal flower.

"You don't think he's _tracking_ me through this, do you?"

Shiori was quiet for a moment, moving down her arm to inspect the harmless-looking gift.

"I can't sense any spells on it, but there's a strong energy emanating from the iron..."

Sakura's frown deepened and she inspected the metal blossom a little closer, running her thumb over a petal. It wasn't as smooth as a metal should be and, oddly, it reminded her of that iron sand Kazeo had wielded in that fight in her shop.

She stood, glaring down harder at the flower, and approached the window next to the inn's bed before opening it, the early-evening air drifting into the room. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw the metal flower out the open, third-floor window, watching it sail through the air and land on a rooftop a couple buildings away. Nodding in satisfaction, Sakura closed and locked the window for extra measure, double-checking her pyrite before moving to sit back down on the bed and slowly relaxing.

Better to be safe than sorry.

**::**

Two days passed uneventfully as Sakura took a much needed break in the town of Genki, luckily not coming in contact with the warlock again.

The townsfolk gave her a wide birth at first, shooting her curious but wary glances as she came out of the inn that late afternoon in search of a meal and the following morning when she traveled to the market. It wasn't until she healed a crying boy's broken arm - she'd never understood why children enjoyed climbing trees so much - that the town seemed to warm up to her, their hesitant frowns turning into welcoming smiles.

The local children took to following the witch around as she shopped through the marketplace, hoping to glimpse her working some exciting magic. And Sakura was always a sucker for the awestruck looks and squeals of delight from children so _maybe_ she was guilty of showing off and pushing a little magic into the soles of her shoes so flowers would spring forth from wherever she stepped in the grass.

She stocked up on traveling supplies and worked a few odd jobs - a fertility potion for an unlucky couple still wishing for a baby, a quick green-thumb spell for a young man who was having trouble keeping his window-garden alive, a simple ring adorned with a crystal that's colors were ever-changing for a sweet woman who planned to propose to her girlfriend soon, etc. - as she enjoyed her time in Genki. Sakura was sure to mark the town on her map as a place to revisit in the future, befriending several of the townsfolk and offering aid and advice to a young, local witch, as she memorized faces and names for future reference.

Shiori occasionally accompanied her around the town but ultimately spent most of her time in the inn to rest. Being so far away from the Shikkotsu Forest and her mother was rather draining for the young slug and she slept to regain energy, snacking on fresh vegetables while Sakura was out and about.

The witch became fairly accustomed to the layout of the town during her two days of exploring and it was late in the evening of the second day, as Sakura took a shortcut through an alley to the inn, that her luck finally ran out.

The only warning she received was the soft click of a door opening behind her - one of the back exits to one of the surrounding buildings that she had passed only moments prior. A hand quickly covered her mouth, muffling her shriek of surprise as an arm looped around her waist and tugged her backwards into an open doorway, the door shutting in front of her moments later as she was enveloped in darkness, an irritated voice breaking through the thudding of her heart in her ears.

"I'll admit that bursting into your room unannounced wasn't the _best_ of ideas, but did you really have to throw me out a damned window, you frustrating witch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!!


	3. Speak Softly Under the Light of the Moon

When Monday morning came in Miyako, several townsfolk were met with a disturbing surprise.

The little apothecary on Noren Street was found empty - devoid of not only its medicinal merchandise, but all furniture and decor as well.

As well as the sweet, pink-haired owner.

One of the shop's frequent customers, an older man who often bought salves from the apothecary that helped with his joint pain, visited early that morning, right around the time the young woman usually opened up her shop, only to find a shattered window and an eerily dark interior.

News quickly spread on the small street and local residents came to investigate, searching the barren building for any sign of life. They found nothing but dust and weeds growing through the floorboards and the townsfolk could only wonder what might have happened during the weekend. Many people stopped by throughout the day, some coming purely to see if the local gossip was true while others visited in concern for the kind shopkeep.

Amongst the visitors was a young girl, worried at the news of the pink-haired woman's disappearance and inwardly wondering if the shop's owner had been in more trouble than she had let on two days ago when she passed through her mother's bakery.

It wasn't until later in the afternoon, after most of the curious crowd, growing throughout the day as word continued to spread, had finally dwindled down, that a particular individual, unfamiliar to the townsfolk he passed, entered the abandoned shop. No one paid him any mind and he was left to his own devices, eventually finding what he was searching for near the back of the building.

The stranger laid the single pink hair in a clean handkerchief before folding and tucking the cloth into the pocket of his jacket, a devious grin on his face and the light of the sun catching on his glasses as he made his way back down the street.

**:** **:**

The moment Sakura recognized the voice of her captor, her struggling turned _violent_ , angrily screaming through the hand over her mouth and jabbing her elbows backward in hope of landing a hit to the warlock as she kicked her legs wildly.

"Calm _down."_ He hissed into her ear, adjusting his grip on her waist and keeping his hand firmly planted over her mouth.

She yelled muffled obscenities back at him, twisting and struggling in his hold as fury bubbled up within her. Sasori gave a growl of frustration, trying to steady them both so they didn't fall over while the witch continued to squirm violently and try to hit him.

"Will you _stop?!_ I'm not going t- _OW!"_ He cut himself off with a yelp of pain when she suddenly bit down on his hand, hard enough to break the skin and draw blood. The warlock stubbornly held onto her but moved his slightly bleeding hand away from her face to wrap the arm around her shoulders.

"Let me go, you bastard!" Now that his hand was gone, she was free to scream and curse as she pleased, one foot slamming down in hopes of stomping on his feet.

"You little-" Gritting his teeth in annoyance at her insistent struggling, Sasori tried to hold her still, the energy of his magic starting to feel a little suffocating in the dark room. "UGH, just calm down! You're being _ridiculous-"_

_"Excuse_ me?! You _kidnapped_ me!"

"I just want to talk!" He gave another growl before finally releasing her, scrambling backwards when she instantly twisted around in attempt to land a punch. The warlock caught her wrist just in time, but missed her other fist, giving a grunt of pain as she punched him in the gut before quickly grabbing that arm as well.

"Calm _down,_ Sakura-"

"Fuck you!"

"-I just want to ask you a few questions!"

She glared up at him, both hands still clenched and itching to rip her wrists from his hold, but his grip was strong and he narrowly avoided a kick to the knee, her posture tense and ready to bolt the moment she was free.

"And you expect me to listen to you?! You've been _stalking_ me! You burst in like you're welcomed and have the audacity to think you can just show up, _kidnap_ me, and have a pleasant conversation?!"

"I hadn't sensed you in days!" He shouted back, glaring back at her and missing the way her eyes narrowed slightly at his words, "It wasn't the best idea to barge in like that, _I_ _know,_ but I was _worried!_ I needed to make sure you weren't-"

He cut himself off with another growl, adjusting his grip on her wrists as he stared back at her, frustrated brown locked with enraged green. "I'm not here to hurt you, Sakura. I _promise."_

As if to prove that he was telling her the truth, he released his hold on her wrists, taking a step back and holding his hands up to placate her. He forced his glare away but still looked incredibly annoyed, taking a few slow breaths to calm himself as well.

"I just want to speak with you."

Her eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness and she looked him over with a dark glare, her fists slightly raised and her hand itching to move for her wand. She doubted she'd be able to move fast enough to remove it from her boot before the warlock managed to grab her - or, worse, use his _own_ magic - and, instead, she kept still and watched him warily, their combined energies heavy in the air. She slowly let her posture relax, only slightly, but enough for him to notice, and took a deep breath, her glare still pinned to him.

After a moment, she crossed her arms over her chest, replying with a simple, stubborn, "No."

Sasori stared at her with a blank look, his hands falling slightly.

"What."

"You heard me," Sakura raised her head slightly, turning her nose up at him. _"No."_

He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, gritting his teeth as he held back another growl. "Don't be a damn _child._ I just want to ask you a few que- Where are you going?"

The witch had turned around, stomping towards the door he had pulled her through and not even sparing him a glance over her shoulder.

"Anywhere that's not here! I'm _leaving,_ you warlock bastard," She reached for the doorknob, ignoring the feeling of his irritated glare drilling into the back of her head and missing the way his fingers twitched, fingertips glowing blue for a moment.

"And if I ever see you again, I'll break your _face._ I swe- _SHIT!"_

She cut off with a shriek the moment she opened the door, facing an open night sky and the lights of a large city far, far below her. One foot was out the door and she quickly stepped back, heart racing as she stared down in shock.

He'd pulled her in from the _street,_ why were they in the sky?!

Sakura was just about to whirl around to angrily confront him when she felt a hand rest between her shoulder blades, his palm warm and alarmingly steady.

The witch glanced over just in time for her incredulous eyes to catch his annoyed expression before he shoved her forward.

She _screamed,_ but was only free-falling for mere seconds before she felt a hand wrap around her wrist and, suddenly, she was no longer plummeting down through the air. Sakura was vaguely aware of the scent of clay as she became weightless, a light breeze whirling around her as Sasori surrounded them with his magic. She realized within moments what he was doing and panicked slightly, reaching up for her plum branch tucked in her hair - she'd never mastered aidless flight.

The warlock swatted her hands away and took both of her wrists once more, his grip firm but gentle as he held her hands above her head. "Calm down, I'm not going to drop you."

It was a reflex for Sakura to tuck her legs up underneath her as they floated in midair, instantly wishing she was on the safety of her broom.

"Put me _down!_ What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I _told you_ ," He hissed into her ear as he 'stood' behind her, "I just want to talk. You're completely safe with me, Sakura."

"Oh, _sure-_ "

"Just _trust_ me," Sasori interrupted with an annoyed groan, meeting her glare as she looked over her shoulder at him.

" _Right,_ I'm just supposed to trust my stalker - _kidnapper!_ \- and have a nice chat." She grit her teeth and resisted the urge to continue her struggling, inwardly glad that she hadn't decided to wear a skirt or dress today - dressed instead in loose, open shoulder white blouse with wide, billowing sleeves and black trousers, silver stitching down the sides that seemed to glint like starlight when the light caught the threads just right - as the wind blew gently around them and ruffled the loose bottom of her shirt, exposing her stomach to the night air.

" _Please,_ Sakura," The warlock sounded oddly pained at having to beg, taking a step back through the air and pulling her with him. "I promise. Just let me ask you a few questions and then I'll take you back. Will you cooperate with me?"

She continued to glare at him, sparing a glance down below to the large, unfamiliar city under them. There was _no way_ that was Genki. Where on Earth had he taken her?!

Grinding her teeth for a moment, Sakura finally gave a frustrated groan, shoulders slumping as she looked back at him angrily, but defeated.

" _Fine._ Start talking."

He let out a sigh of relief and took a step forward through the air, the pair of them bobbing lower slightly. A quick glance down confirmed that her legs were still tucked up close to her and Sasori snorted, his grip on her wrists moving to her hands.

"Straighten your legs out. Walk with me, Sakura."

She frowned at the command but tentively stretched her legs out, swinging through the air slightly as if to find purchase before she caught the rhythm of his own steps, the witch and warlock gliding slowly through the sky. Satisfied, he spoke again.

"Have you come in contact with either Orochimaru or Kabuto since you left Miyako?"

Her frown deepened and she paused, glancing to her right as they passed a tall clock tower, before thinking the question over. Sakura vaguely recalled Sasori mentioning the first name when she had last seen him and, chewing on her lip, she pieced things together.

"Orochimaru is..." Another pause as a bird passed them and she inwardly wondered if the pedestrians down below could see them through the darkness of the night. "He's that creepy snake mage, right?"

She glanced over her shoulder to catch his curt nod before he shifted their path slightly through the sky. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she thought over the second, unfamiliar name.

"But who is Kabuto?"

Sasori was quiet for a moment as they passed over another building, the crescent moon casting enough light for him to pick a path. "He's Orochimaru's apprentice. Silver hair, usually in a ponytail, glasses-"

"Oh, _him."_ The one that _started_ this whole mess by slipping that spying serpent into her coinpurse - she remembered _him._

If she ever saw this 'Kabuto' again, she'd be sure to thank him with a hard punch to the face.

When she didn't immediately answer his first question, Sasori gave one of her hands a short squeeze, rolling his eyes at her huff.

_"Well?_ Have you seen either of them - have they approached you?"

He maneuvered them around a chimney that was spewing smoke and she shook her head, glancing up at the stars above.

"No, I have seen neither of those bastards. Only _you."_

Sasori breathed a sigh of relief and was silent for another moment, relaxing noticeably as he gathered his thoughts.

Sakura was quiet as well, trying to focus more on the city below than the frustrating warlock so close behind her. She had to admit, there was something incredibly satisfying about stepping on a rooftop and using it to kick off into the sky again...

"Orochimaru expressed an unnerving interest in you, when I last saw him in Miyako."

Sakura's attention snapped to Sasori, an eyebrow quirked as she stared at him. She thought back to that evening in her shop, remembering the mage's reaction to the reveal that she was a witch.

"He..." She frowned to herself, allowing Sasori to turn her slightly and guide them over a market square. "He mentioned my old teacher. I think they know each other and I'm trying to find her now so I can find out what she knows."

The warlock was quiet, but she felt his hands tense slightly around her own.

"Does the name Tsunade sound familiar?" Sakura asked after a moment. She felt him shrug in reply behind her, glancing back to watch him.

"I don't know everyone from Orochimaru's past."

"But you _do_ know him personally, don't you?" She persisted, feeling pretty confident about her suspicions.

Again, he was quiet for a moment before finally replying.

"I did at one point." Sasori quickly continued when it looked like she was going to question him further. "But that is unimportant. Just know that _I_ know him well enough to know that he's not one to give up when he has his mind set on something."

Sakura fell silent at his foreboding reply, frowning to herself as she inwardly wondered if this dangerous mage was really coming after her for some unknown reason.

"I..." He paused and she glanced over her shoulder at him when he suddenly spoke, a little surprised by his embarrassed, yet earnest, expression.

"I must apologize for what happened," The warlock finally continued, "It really wasn't my intention to get you involved in all of this."

_"Oh?"_

He glowered at her response before letting out another sigh, the pair passing by the clock tower once more.

"I was visiting Miyako purely on business. But, Orochimaru has a knack for showing up in whatever city I'm in shortly after I arrive." They caught a small breeze and climbed further into the air, still walking through the sky as he spoke. The stars overhead twinkled and sparkled, catching her eye and might have left her a little dazzled if she wasn't in her current predicament. "We aren't on good terms. He's been following me for years now because-"

"Because you stole something from him." Sakura interrupted, remembering what Orochimaru had said in her shop. She glanced back at him, expression curious. "What did you steal?"

A short pause as he glanced away, inwardly debating something for a moment. "Unimportant. He won't be getting it back."

She sent him an irritated look, about to berate him for being so frustrating, when he had them drop down several feet, the warlock smirking when she squeezed his hands in surprise.

"As I said," He continued after a moment, "I was only visiting Miyako. But, I happened to see you in the market one day and I knew I would need to keep an eye on you because someone _always_ gets hurt when Orochimaru is around."

He either didn't notice or simply ignored her frown and continued, starting to ramble a bit as they stepped off another chimney.

"Of course, I didn't know at the time that you were a _witch,_ but sometimes that bastard takes civilians instead of wizards and other mages and-"

"Wait, wait, wait," She interrupted, looking back at him with furrowed eyebrows before she seemed to come to a realization as she suddenly remembered that conversation between the two men at the market. _"Orochimaru_ is the one that's been kidnapping spell-sellers and wizards all over the country?! _Why?"_

Sasori gave another shrug, watching a pair of birds pass as they paused on a rooftop. "I believe so. As for why, I have my suspicions."

Eyebrow quirked, she watched and waited for him to continue, frowning when he remained silent. _"Well?_ Are you going to enlighten me or...?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself with."

_"Excuse_ me?" She sent him an incredulous look, glancing away only when they stepped back into the air and gritting her teeth in frustration. "You're the one saying he might be coming after me! You can _at least_ have the decency to explain what you think he's doing."

The warlock stubbornly remained silent and Sakura growled under her breath, grumbling to herself until something dawned on her.

"Alright, wait..."

He sent her a curious look and the witch frowned back at him over her shoulder.

_"Why_ do you feel the need to watch out for me? You don't seem much like the 'knight in shining armor' type, especially when it's for random strangers."

Sasori had this odd look on his face, like he wanted to say something before he changed his mind, glancing away with the barest hint of a blush on his face.

At least, she _thought_ it was a blush - it was kind of hard to tell in the dark.

"I'm..." He paused after finally speaking, still refusing to look at her as he frowned down at the buildings they were floating over.

"I'm indebted to you." The warlock missed her confused expression, staring away from her as he continued. "I _don't_ like owing anyone _anything_ and when I saw you in Miyako for the first time, over a month ago, I knew this would be a chance to repay my debt to you."

Sakura silently processed his reply, still incredibly confused until, suddenly, it clicked.

"We've met before, haven't we?"

The warlock finally looked back at her and they stared at each other for a moment, their weightless bodies gliding through the air as they walked and the breeze ruffling clothing and tussling hair. Eventually he gave a curt nod and Sakura frowned to herself - so _that's_ why he looked familiar - and tried to recall just _when_ they'd met in the past. She was about to start interrogating him further but he seemed to anticipate her question, looking away with a blank face.

"But that's a tale for another time."

Sakura bristled and shot him a glare, squeezing his hands painfully hard when he continued to ignore her.

"You can't keep doing that!"

"Doing what?"

As if he didn't _know._

She resisted the urge to aim a kick back at him and simply pinned the warlock with her glower.

"You can't keep dropping information like that and then not giving me more details. I thought you wanted to _talk."_

"I'm only giving you the information you _need,_ for now." He returned the frown, holding her gaze. "I thought _you_ didn't want to be here."

Sakura was silent at that, looking away with a glare as she turned her attention to the city below. Well, he wasn't wrong - she definitely didn't _want_ to be here, kidnapped by a frustrating warlock and forced to walk through the sky as he gave less-than-satisfying explanations for his actions.

But, she had to admit, it was kind of nice to glide through the air on such a pretty night, using a technique she never mastered to travel under the twinkling stars and glowing moon...

She quickly shook her head to clear her mind of these thoughts, stubbornly forcing down the "Kind of romantic too" comment that was suddenly rolling through her mind

_"Fine,_ keep being vague." She finally said, frowning back at him with narrowed, annoyed eyes. "We're done here. Take me back, like you promised."

Sasori looked like he wanted to argue further but he gave a short nod instead, changing their path slightly and climbing higher into the sky.

"I thought you _liked_ flying." He suddenly said, catching her attention as they traveled back over the city.

"Excuse me?"

"You seem pretty attached to that broom of yours." The warlock replied when she sent him a confused look, shrugging to himself. "I thought you might enjoy this at least a _little."_

Sakura bristled slightly, gaze narrowing as she felt oddly insulted. "I _love_ flying. I'm just not too keen on my current company. And..."

Trailing off, she glanced away before sighing, pouting through her embarrassment. "I never really mastered sky-walking or any aidless flight. So I prefer my broom."

She happened to glance over her shoulder just in time to see him quirk an eyebrow, a slightly amused look on his face.

"Really? You don't seem like the type to have trouble mastering spells."

Sakura quickly looked away, feeling her face turn pink. Was that a compliment?

"My teacher wasn't too interested in the air arts." The witch admitted, staring down at the rooftops. "Tsunade hates not having her feet on the ground. So, I taught myself how to fly on a broom and _tried_ to learn other types of flight, but I never got the hang of it on my own."

Sasori was quiet for a moment as they walked through the air, until he finally broke the silence, the feeling of his breath just barely brushing the back of her neck and his hands warm around hers.

"It's a pretty easy technique to learn. A little more difficult on your own, true. I know from experience - I taught myself the method years ago."

Sakura nearly shot him a glare, figuring he was trying to belittle her, but he continued, unaware of the growing blush on her face.

"I could teach you." Sasori offered, his voice earnest, if a little hesitant. "I know a lot of wand-less magic that I'm sure you'd be able to pick up fairly easily."

She bit her lip, gaze pinned on a street far below.

There was little Sakura loved more than _learning..._

Before her thoughts could stray too far, the witch shook her head, grumbling to herself for a moment. "No thanks. I don't plan on spending _anymore_ time with you after this."

He gave a snort that had her frown deepening, refusing to look back at him.

"I'm afraid that's not up to you, little girl. I can't consider my debt to you _repayed_ after all that's happened." She stiffened at his words, her expression incredulous and steadily growing angry once more.

"I plan on keeping an eye on you to make sure Orochimaru doesn't... _bother_ you. At _least_ until you find this 'Tsunade' of yours"

"No." The witch quickly replied, jaw clenched. _"Hell_ no. You are _not_ traveling with me."

Sasori shrugged, unbothered by her angry look. "I don't have to _travel_ with you. I can easily follow you around, regardless of whether you like it or not."

Sakura was just about to start struggling in his hold again when she remembered the metal flower that she had thrown out, smirking to herself.

"Tough luck, _old man._ I got rid of your little tracker."

A pause.

"You did _what?"_

Her smirk widened into a grin at the incredulous, slightly angry sound of his voice. So she _had_ been right about him tracking her through the gift. The witch sent him a smug look, pleased with herself.

"I figured out what it was and threw it out. Good luck following me around _now."_

Eyes narrowed, Sasori growled under his breath and she felt his fingers tighten around her hands but, before he could reply, they stepped out of the sky and onto a balcony.

Sakura blinked in surprise - they hadn't been _facing_ a building, where did this balcony come from? - until she recognized it as the same spot where their little 'walk' had started.

The balcony was small, a short railing on either side of the opening that led out into the open air, and extended barely two feet out in front of a door. She took a moment to look around, aware of Sasori finally releasing her hands and stepping away as they landed in the small, flat space. The building - a quick glance behind her to the city below revealed that they were way too high in the air for this to be a normal building - curved upwards as well as downwards and left much to the imagination, the smell of clay heavy in the air. She was unable to tell just _what_ material the building was made out of in the darkness, but the clay scene gave her a pretty good guess.

She was about to question the warlock - she _swore_ she could hear the sound of large wings beating through the air somewhere nearby - when he stepped forward to open the door, a street suspiciously similar to the one he'd snatched her off of on the other side. He watched her silently, his expression unreadable, but Sakura was perfectly fine with not exchanging goodbyes, sending Sasori a final frown as she stepped towards the open door.

Just before she passed over the threshold, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, black sand suddenly pouring out from one of his sleeves. She barely had a moment to process what was happening, let alone _struggle,_ and could only watch in horror as the iron sand encircled her wrist before hardening into a band, the odd bracelet weighing heavily around her wrist.

"What the he-?!"

Before she could properly react, Sasori shoved her through the open doorway and onto the street, quickly closing the door behind her.

**::**

By the time Sakura made it back to the inn, her anger hadn't lessened any.

That _bastard._

He'd slapped another tracker onto her and, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get rid of it. It was loose enough around her wrist to move around, but she just couldn't seem to pull it past her hand, the iron warm on her skin and it's weight a constant reminder of that infuriating warlock.

After spending a few minutes banging on the door and attempting to wrestle the band off of her wrist, Sakura finally gave up and hurried back to the inn, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed in a perpetual glare. She passed few townsfolk, as it was pretty late in the evening now, and the ones she _did_ see seemed to realize she was in a nasty mood and kept their distance.

She stomped up the stairs of the inn to her room and threw the door open, bee-lining for the bed. Sakura flopped down face-first on the mattress and grabbed a pillow, muffling her scream into it.

"Mistress Sakura!"

The witch turned slightly at the sound of Shiori's voice in her mind, expression turning apologetic when she realized how panicked the slug sounded. Shiori quickly crawled over to her, feelers brushing over her shoulder and face as if to make sure she was okay.

"What happened?" The familiar thought into her mind again, still sounding pretty distressed. "You were gone for so long and I couldn't _sense_ you at all!"

Sakura sighed, sitting up and glaring down at the black iron band around her wrist as she proceeded to tell the slug about being kidnapped by the warlock and their midair conversation. Her familiar was attentive, obviously locking all of this new information away for further investigation in the future. When she finally finished, Sakura offered her wrist for Shiori to examine, suspicions confirmed when the small slug recoiled slightly at the touch of the bracelet.

"It's the same substance as that metal flower, but the magical energy radiating off of it is much stronger." Shiori paused, gently brushing her feelers over the band once more. After a thorough investigation, the slug spoke again, voice sounding apologetic. "There's no seam or clasp - no weak point to take advantage of in an attempt to break it..."

The witch nodded, expression glum as she ran a finger over the smooth metal. "I doubt asking nicely will convince that ass to take it off. UGH, I don't _want_ that bastard following after me everywhere!"

Shiori's voice was sympathetic and she moved to rest on her knee, facing Sakura. "Please don't worry, Mistress Sakura - I'm sure there's an alternative method to removing it. Mistress Tsunade may be able to figure it out..."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, gently brushing a finger down the slug's back. "Sasori said he would keep following me until I _at least_ find Tsunade. Regardless of whether he was lying or not, the quicker I find her, the quicker I get this damned cuff off."

Sighing, she fell back and splayed out on the mattress, glaring up at the ceiling. After a couple minutes, she rolled over and off of the bed, beginning to gather her belongings.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning. Breaks between traveling will be short - I _don't_ want to interact with that warlock bastard ever again, unless it's to have him remove his little tracking device."

**::**

Sakura awoke to the distant cry of a rooster, groaning into her pillow as memories rushed into her mind. For a moment, while her brain was still fuzzy and she clutched to the lingering lull of sleep, she thought - _hoped -_ it had all been a bad dream.

But a quick glance down to her wrist confirmed that the iron band was still present and the impromptu conversation with Sasori had _indeed_ happened.

Resisting the urge to bury herself back under her bedsheets and bemoan her rotten luck, the witch begrudgingly got out of bed, glaring out her window at the warms rays of a cheery sunrise.

By the time she was dressed and ready - sporting a pale yellow sundress with a lacy neckline and matching sleeves (a few handy spells stitched into the lace on her arms) and her black cloak - Sakura had made up her mind in regards to her travel plans. She'd be spending most of the day in the air (the dress was made of a soft, light material that would be comfortable to fly in) and spend minimal time on the ground as she headed for the mountains, giving the red-haired warlock little chance of being able to contact her.

She planned to aggressively ignore him even _if_ he tried to interact with her.

Heading down to the market to quickly stock up on food and traveling supplies, Sakura greeted the townsfolk she'd befriended over the last few days with a tired, yet appreciative smile. A few seemed to realize that she was packed and ready to leave Genki and offered her well-wishes on her future travels, letting the witch know she was always welcomed in their town. Shiori was perched on her shoulder, nodding kindly to the townsfolk that greeted the slug as well, and Sakura could feel the warm flutter at the edge of her awareness that let her know that her familiar was keeping watch.

She was in the middle of purchasing a couple apples when she felt Shiori stiffen and inch closer to her neck, her voice soft, yet wary, in her mind.

"I sense an... _unfriendly_ presence, Mistress."

Sakura reached up to tuck a few stray strands of pink hair behind her ear, using the motion to inconspicuously glance over her shoulder as she murmured her reply to the slug.

"Sasori? Can't he give me at least one day of peace..."

"No, Mistress." Shiori replied, threading her awareness with Sakura's to give the witch a wider reach as they simultaneously searched. She resisted the urge to reach up and remove her broom charm from her messy bun, instead moving down to a different vendor as the slug continued.

"This aura is much more..." She paused unsurely, her small body giving a short shudder. " _D_ _ark._ It is not that of the warlock's."

Sakura was sure she visibly paled as her suspicions grew but she managed to steel her nerves as a group of children rushed over, greeting her with gleeful smiles and hopeful eyes. She held back her grimace, hoping her smile didn't look _too_ panicked, and relented to the childrens' wishes for a magic show. Crouching down to their level, she removed her hawthorn wand from her boot and tapped it to the patch of grass she was standing on, smiling to herself as a few lavender flowers quickly sprang up.

They were obviously magical, as they were giving off a soft purple glow, and Sakura beckoned the kids to each pick a flower, one for each child. When the children had plucked their flowers, clutching the blooms close as they stared at the glowing blossoms in wonder, the witch stood, resisting the urge to glance around the busy market.

"Now run home and put your flower under your pillow right away." She instructed, unable to pinpoint the presence that was worrying Shiori, "You'll all have fantastic dreams tonight and for a few nights after until the flowers wilt. But you have to put them under your pillows quickly or the magic will disappear! So hurry home, okay?"

Best to get the kids safe and out of the way, just in case a fight was about to break out.

The group of children gave her awed and happy words of thanks before quickly rushing off, presumably towards their respective homes. Relaxing slightly and hiding her wand in the sleeve of her cloak, Sakura carefully made her way towards the edge of the market, moving slow and unassumingly so she didn't catch anyone's attention. Passing by a vendor who was selling fresh bread, she tilted her head slightly to whisper to Shiori, her heart thudding in her chest.

"Orochimaru?"

"I don't think so, Mistress..." Sakura's relief was short-lived as the slug continued, "It doesn't feel like that mage's aura. It's... _similar,_ but not exactly the same. I don't recognize this presence."

The witch frowned to herself, thoughts buzzing as she worked her mind for an answer. She was just passing a booth that was selling fabric when she felt a hand suddenly grab her upper arm (not strong enough to elicit anything more than a sudden flinch from her, but a tight enough grip to keep her in place), a person moving to walk next to her.

"You're a tricky girl to track down, Miss Witch."

Sakura stiffened at the horribly familiar voice and glanced to her right to see the silver-haired man - Kabuto, as the warlock had called him - smiling back at her, his hand gripping her arm and guiding her out of the market.

_"You!"_ She kept her voice hushed, hoping to keep the Genki townsfolk out of danger, and simply sent him an accusatory hiss, recoiling when he pulled her closer.

"Ah! So you remember me. I'm fla-"

"Fuck _off."_

Kabuto gave an amused chuckle, tutting down at her as he looped his arm through hers and glanced at the wary Shiori perched on her shoulder, his pace steady as the pair passed through the marketplace.

"Language, Miss Sakura. There's no need to be so testy. I'm not here to hurt you."

_"Bullshit._ How did you find me, _Kabuto?"_

That seemed to catch him off-guard. The apprentice looked a little surprised at her knowing his name, but he quickly hid his shock behind another unnerving smile, his free hand raising and reaching towards her head. Sakura's hand shot up on reflex to catch his wrist, but not quick enough to stop him from curling a few pink strands of her hair around his finger. She growled under her breath, hand glowing the barest amount of blue as she squeezed his wrist painfully hard.

Kabuto's lips twitched as he suppressed his grimace. "Some Finding spells, though difficult, need no more than a single hair to locate someone. You left Miyako in such a hurry, but you weren't quite as careful as you thought, Miss Sakura."

He turned her down an empty alleyway and finally stepped away, removing his arm from hers and resisting the urge to rub his sore wrist when she finally released it as he faced her. Sakura grit her teeth and clenched her fists, stance wary and ready to fight if Kabuto made any move to attack her. Instead, the silver-haired apprentice regarded her with a calm smile, his glasses glinting dangerously as he stood mere feet from her.

He was unaware of how the white lace of her sleeves were starting to glow in places under her cloak, small, pebble-sized balls of magical energy gathering and at the ready.

"Let me first congratulate you, Miss Witch, for catching Lord Orochimaru's attention." Kabuto began, taking a moment to bow regally - even the _movement_ felt sarcastic - but not looking away from her. "It isn't often that my master takes an interest in common witches - even ones as lovely as you-"

"Cut the horseshit," Sakura interrupted, glaring darkly at him and lining the small balls of energy up down the length of her wrists. "What do you want?"

He tilted his head slightly, the light catching on the lenses of his glasses again, and he motioned towards her.

"That slug on your shoulder," She resisted the urge to reach up to Shiori protectively at his words, emerald eyes narrowing, "It's from the Shikkotsu Forest, is it not?"

Sakura turned her body slightly to a more defensive stance, moving her familiar out of Kabuto's sight.

"Why do you want to know?"

Kabuto's smile widened into a grin and she could spot just the barest glow of light purple energy gathering at his fingertips.

"Lord Orochimaru knows of only one other witch in the world that possesses a slug familiar from the Shikkotsu Forest. He is immensely interested in _formally_ meeting the apprentice of one of his rivals."

The purple gathering at his fingers was now dripping down to the ground, the drops of magical energy hissing like acid when it met the cobblestones below, and Sakura pinned him with a steady glare, her angry expression hiding how fast her heart was beating.

"You're making a lot of assumptions about me." She replied, shoulders stiff. "Besides, your _master_ lost any chance at a civil conversation with me when he _destroyed_ my home."

Kabuto had the gall to feign an apologetic look and he regarded her with a friendly, fakely-sympathetic smile. "My Lord Orochimaru sends his deepest apologies for his part in the destruction of your... _quaint_ little shop."

The apprentice certainly took after the master, in all _sorts_ mannerisms.

He ignored her scoff and continued, raising his hands with a placating air, though they still dripped vicious purple energy.

"He'd be more than happy to reimburse you for the damages done to your home, if you'd be so kind as to give him the whereabouts of the warlock Akasuna no Sasori."

Sakura frowned to herself - even if she _did_ know where, exactly, Sasori was, it was doubtful that these dark mages would leave her alone.

"You can tell your Lord Orochimaru to _fuck off_ \- I don't want anything to do with _any_ of you."

An angry look flashed over Kabuto's face but, before he could reply, Sakura quickly spun on her heel, flinging her arm out and sending the energy pebbles flying at Kabuto at an aggressively high speed. The small balls of white light crackled with energy and steadily growing static, impacting the apprentice and sending sudden volts of electricity through his body as she took the brief moment to raise her wand. The crackle of electricity in the air mixed with his cry of pain but Sakura moved quickly, uncaringly of the dangerous mage's wellbeing.

With her free hand, glowing blue with strength-enhancing energy, Sakura landed a hard punch to Kabuto's chest, sending him flying backwards a few feet before giving her wand a quick flick. Immediately, vines burst through the cracks in the ground near the man's feet, coiling around his legs and pinning him in place as she sprinted past him and out of the alley.

The witch turned a corner sharply, her mind racing with her body as she pulled up the mental map she'd created of Genki, aiming to get near the edge of town and draw Kabuto away from the townsfolk before making her escape.

She heard Shiori's sudden shout in her mind to _duck_ just barely in time, dodging out of the way of a sudden bolt of purple energy whizzing past her ear and hitting a stone wall. Glancing over her shoulder as she raced down the street, Sakura could spot Kabuto chasing after her, a few dead vines still clinging to his ankles as he shot another beam of energy at her, very reminiscent of his master's attack.

The pinkette turned another corner, only to quickly skid to a halt when she found her path barred by a vicious looking serpent, it's fangs dripping with venom as it hissed angrily at her.

Gritting her teeth - Kabuto would be rounding the same corner in moments, she guessed - Sakura quickly reached up to pull her plum branch out of her hair, sidestepping a strike from the snake before quickly pointing her wand at it. Gathering the small balls of light from her other sleeve in her wand, Sakura shot a beam of energy at the serpent, jumping over it as it recoiled in on itself and seemed to melt into acid.

She'd just managed to make her broom grow to its full size and slip her wand into her boot when another purple bolt shot past her, just barely missing her arm. Sakura glanced over her shoulder, heart pounding and Shiori's voice panicked, only to find Kabuto missing.

Shrieking in surprise when something grabbed her arms painfully tight, the witch turned her attention forward once more and found the apprentice in front of her, his expression dangerous. More acidic energy was dripping from his hands, burning through the sleeves of her cloak and the lace sleeves of her dress to bite into her skin.

Sakura cried out in pain, the dark energy shooting through her, stemming from where Kabuto's hands met her arms, and her knees threatened to buckle at the sudden immense pain. The silver-haired man eyed the plum branch broom in her hand with a sneer, vicious magic surrounding his hands as his grip tightened on her arms.

"I'm afraid you won't be escaping into the air again, _Sakura._ As I said, my Lord Orochimaru wishes to _meet_ you."

Sakura clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to block the burning pain in her arms, gritting her teeth as she fought to keep control of her tiring body. Shiori's desperate cries of encouragement sounded far-away as she struggled, the slug's energy threading through her in an attempt to battle the mage's harmful magic. Managing to adjust her stance slightly, the witch sent him an angry glare, baring her teeth in a snarl.

"And as _I_ said, fuck _off!"_

Planting one leg firmly on the ground, Sakura leaned back and forced Kabuto to bend forward just enough for her to bring her other leg up quickly, her knee connecting with his chin and making a painful _crack_ echo through the alley. He gave a pained yelp and she managed to rip her arms out of his grip, spinning on her heel for a roundhouse kick at her assailant.

Unfortunately, Kabuto managed to catch her ankle with one hand, his other arm swinging out towards her as she tried to lean back out of the way.

It looked as if she was far enough out of his reach and safe from his strike, but then time seemed to slow to a crawl for a moment. A bright blue glow encased his hand in a wicked blade and extended his length of reach just enough to make contact with her plum branch, still clutched in her hand.

Sakura could only watch in horror as Kabuto's energy blade sliced clean through the wood of her broom, her step faltering and allowing his strike to hit her side as well.

The pain of his magical blade cutting her side was dulled by the sight of one half of the plum branch falling to the cobblestone ground, both parts of the broom glowing a bright green before there was a sudden _crackle_ and _pop._ The magic in her broom snapped out of existence in a burst of pale blue and green sparks and the alleyway was briefly filled with the scent of plums, the blossoms on the branch halves quickly wilting as the wood seemed to crack and shrivel.

Eyes wide in horror and her heart clenching in anguish, Sakura was vaguely aware of tears gathering in her eyes, time still moving painfully slow, and the sharp sound of wood hitting stone still ringing in her ears as she stared down at her broken broom. The witch felt a sudden burning pain shoot through her body - but not from any sort of attack from the grinning Kabuto, who looked both amused and triumphant - as the years-old bond of the magic threaded between her and the branch snapped.

She wasn't aware of falling to her knees, only of reaching out desperately for the other half of her broom before recoiling as Kabuto kicked it away. He ripped the half in her hand from her grip and tossed it down the alley as well, an amused look on his face as he grasped her wrist, his hand brushing over the black iron band.

Before Kabuto could speak, a sneering response practically dripping from his lips, there was a sudden _thud_ and _snap_ and the alleyway was filled with hot, angry energy.

Wind kicked up in the alley in a furious flurry, dust and sand whipping around the pair and forcing Sakura to close her eyes, a burning heat threaded through what should have been an icy gust. She managed to peek up at the sound of a shout above her just in time to find a burst of red energy hit Kabuto square in the chest and send him flying backwards away from her. The gale continued to whip around her and Sakura was only vaguely aware of Shiori pressing herself close to her neck.

Suddenly, there was a hand taking hold of her own, grip soft but strong, and an arm gently wrapped around her waist, steadily pulling her to her feet and back against a chest. As the wind stormed around them, her hair loose from its bun and blowing freely in the strong breeze, Sakura looked weakly over her shoulder to see Sasori holding her protectively close, his expression angry and focused somewhere ahead of her.

His black cloak billowed and fluttered around them and, for a moment, Sakura felt weightless.

And then the alley disappeared and she watched as they passed backwards through a doorway, the door closing in front of her in a very familiar fashion before she was enveloped in darkness once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic is ending up a lot longer than I was expecting

**Author's Note:**

> decided to post this to ao3 too! hope you enjoyed u♢u


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